Our "Hens" Started Crowing... near Cincinnati!

[HensKY]

We hatched 8 eggs in August and two of our "hens" started crowing last week... It looks like 5 of the 8 hens are actually roosters and we are prohibited from keeping roosters in our town. I've looked for rescues and called a few farmer friends we have but have had no luck. I do like a good chicken noodle soup, but these boys are almost too beautiful to consider consuming!

If anyone has any recommendations or knows of any options within an hour or two of Cincinnati, we'd sure appreciate the guidance.

Happy Holidays y'all and thank you!
Matt

 

[Offshoreorca]

I’m not from your area, but understand the difficulties of having extra roosters. We process those we can’t find homes for and I make a conscious effort not to get attached. If you live in a place where you can’t have them (or you know you get too attached to them), then it’s best to pay a little more for point of lay pullets or sexed chicks (where only 1 in 10 has the chance of being a cockerel). That way you won’t have to go through any heartbreak.

You have a few options:
1) Find homes for them using local Facebook pages or sale sites - be warned that there are SO many roosters looking for homes (especially this time of the year) that unless they a purebred or a rare breed this often doesn’t result in too much. It’s worth trying your State forum thread on Backyard Chickens in case they know a bit more about the options in your State.
2) Find a rooster refuge - you may have to drive a while to get to one, but this is the only other option if you don’t want them going to freezer camp.
3) Donate them to a wildlife refuge or zoo as food for the animals in their care
4) Eat them
5) Find someone who will eat them

Whatever you do, don’t dump them as that’s not fair to the birds. You will always be able to find people to take them, though it will likely be as a food source. Good luck with finding homes for them

 

[HensKY]

I’m not from your area, but understand the difficulties of having extra roosters. We process those we can’t find homes for and I make a conscious effort not to get attached. If you live in a place where you can’t have them (or you know you get too attached to them), then it’s best to pay a little more for point of lay pullets or sexed chicks (where only 1 in 10 has the chance of being a cockerel). That way you won’t have to go through any heartbreak.

You have a few options:
1) Find homes for them using local Facebook pages or sale sites - be warned that there are SO many roosters looking for homes (especially this time of the year) that unless they a purebred or a rare breed this often doesn’t result in too much. It’s worth trying your State forum thread on Backyard Chickens in case they know a bit more about the options in your State.
2) Find a rooster refuge - you may have to drive a while to get to one, but this is the only other option if you don’t want them going to freezer camp.
3) Donate them to a wildlife refuge or zoo as food for the animals in their care
4) Eat them
5) Find someone who will eat them

Whatever you do, don’t dump them as that’s not fair to the birds. You will always be able to find people to take them, though it will likely be as a food source. Good luck with finding homes for them

Thanks for the reply; I've been looking for homes for a few weeks and there really aren't many options that I've found. The boys have had a pretty good run thus far but chicken noodle soup looks like their ultimate fate. I just want to try and put off their execution if at all possible, but I knew that we'd probably have to make the tough choice around the holidays.

All the Best,
Matt

 

[Offshoreorca]

Thanks for the reply; I've been looking for homes for a few weeks and there really aren't many options that I've found. The boys have had a pretty good run thus far but chicken noodle soup looks like their ultimate fate. I just want to try and put off their execution if at all possible, but I knew that we'd probably have to make the tough choice around the holidays.

All the Best,
Matt

Yes, it feels wrong in many ways to raise things and then eat them - definitely was tough our first time dispatching the extra males, but on the positive side they had a good life unlike most of the chickens who end up at the grocery store. Hopefully you will be able to find homes for at least a couple of them

Hope you have a wonderful holiday as well!